BIZCHINA> Review & Analysis
Low prices are welcome
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-12-01 10:07
More work should be done to guarantee the fair distribution of low-price Olympic tickets, says a signed article in Beijing News. An excerpt follows:

The long-awaited ticket prices for the 2008 Beijing Olympics were published on Wednesday on the official site of the Games and the prices for seats at the opening ceremony are as low as 200 yuan (US$25.50). More than 58 per cent of all tickets for open sale will cost 100 yuan (US$13) or less, with the lowest price being 30 yuan (US$4). The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of XXIX Olympiad will also offer student tickets, which account for about 14 per cent of all domestically available tickets and cost merely 5 yuan (US$0.64) for preliminaries and 10 yuan (US$1.28) for finals.

The low-price scheme is really a surprise for the public. When it costs dozens of yuan for a movie and several hundred yuan for a show, the low prices of the Olympic Games are really extraordinary. Olympic ticket prices have not blindly followed international practices but fully considered the capability of ordinary people. It shows the social values and public welfare of the Olympic Games and sets a good example for the entertainment market.

A key reason the Olympic Games has lasted so long lies in its regard for the common man. Everyone can enjoy the games and participate in it. In ancient Greece, the Olympic Games was a grand festival for all. In modern history, the tickets and souvenirs of the Games are sold at low prices. It may seem to be a mistake from a commercial perspective, but low ticket prices will enable more people to watch the Games and feel the atmosphere and the spirit of competition. The achievement in social values is far more important than revenue.

But there are still many problems to be solved to let more people benefit from the low-price scheme.


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